Holding device



Sept 25, 1945. J. muoHNs'roN l I2,385,709

HOLDING DEVICE Filed Nov. 23, 1944 yf/@wf Patented Sept. 25, 1945 `UNITED STATES PATENT vOFFICE HOLDINGDEVICE John M. Johnston, Hillside, N. J. i Application November 23, 1944', Serial No. 564,884 l o iolaims. (o1. :a4-23s) I It is an object of this invention to provide a` holding device which is of highly practical construction and operation, which lends itself readily to manufacture at low cost, and'is eflicient and durable in operation.`

A further object of the invention is to provide av device of the character described which is adapted to hold an article positioned therein against displacement, the parts being automatically maintained in that position against displacement and being adapted to be readily shifted into an open position when desired to enable the article held thereby to be readily removed therefrom.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective view of thefholding device of my invention in its closed position,

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the' device in its open position,

Fig. 3 is an underplan view of the `device taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vsectior'ial `'View thereof taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1, v f l Fig. 5 is a similar view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 2, and Y Fig. 6 is a transverse line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the device of my invention is shown to comprise a base plate I0 provided with any suitable means, s uch as longitudinal flanges sectional view taken Y on II or the like to secure the device to a handle or other supporting member I2 on which the device is mounted. 'Ihe drawing illustrates the handle in the form of a wire loop but as will be obvious, the invention is not limited to the utilization of such form of handle but comprehendsbroadly themounting of thelbase plate on any handle, supporting orfother mounting member by any securingY means. l

and is normally urged to project upwardly therefrom by expansion means such as a spring 22 or the like in said housing, said ball member being preferably xedto a stem I9 or the like projecting through an aperture 20 in the lower end of the housing to guide the ball member in its vertical reciprocation in said housing. The lower end 2l of stem' I9 is preferably flattened to denne an enlarged head adapted to abut the underside of the housing when the ball member projects to its uppermost'position therefrom as shown in Fig. 4. I

The slide plate I3 is provided with an aperture 23 or the like, preferably of smaller diameter than the greatest diameter of said ball member, said aperture being in` longitudinal alignment with the ball member, whereby, when the plates are in registry as in Fig. 1, the ball member will project partly through said aperture, latching theplates together;

To disengage the plates it is merely necessary to manually or otherwise4 depress the ball member Il below the aperture 23 to enable the slide platel3 to be moved forwardly relative to the base plate so that the aperture 23 of said slide plate will Vlbe carried past the ball member I1 and the latter will be compressed in its housing withthe stem: I9 thereof projecting therefrom, the'ball member bearing against the underside of the slide plate I3 with the plates in position of non-registry, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, until the slide plate is manually or otherwise moved rearwardly to bring the aperture 23 thereof into registry with the ball l1, to cause a re- A slide mate I3 is slidably mountedcn the 4 base plate 10,' said slide'plate being'provided with longitudinal flanges I4 or the like for sliding engagement-with the base plate, said slide plate being further provided with'a depending stud' I5 or the like adapted to be received in a recess I6 in the base plate to limitthe movement of the slide plate I5 on the base vplate in one direction Aas indicated in Fig. 5.

'Ihe base'plate YIl) is further provided with a tubular housing I8 or the like secured thereto in any convenient or desired manner, as by providing the upper end of said housing with an annular flange I8 received in a circumferential recess I0 in the base plate (see Fig. 4). A ball member I1 is slidably arranged in said housing newed latching of lthe parts and renewed registry of plates Ill and I3 as above described and shown in Fig. 4. The slide plate I3 is provided at the forward end thereof with a keeper flange 24 or similarreceiving member for reception of an articleI A to be held in the latching device, the keeper ilange 24 being of generally such cross section as to presentan open lower end 25 spaced from the forward edge 21 of the 'slide plate I3 to present an opening for'the reception of the article A to be held in the device.

As will be apparent from an inspection of Fig. 4, when theY plates I3 and I0 are `in registry, with the ball; Il projecting into the aperture 23, the lower, open end 'of the keeper ilange' is partially or substantially closed by the forward edge of the member 26 of the base plate I0, which projects into the plane of said keeper member and substantially closes the same.

As will be apparent from an inspection of Figs.

2 and 5, when the slide plate I3 is slid forwardly It will be understood that thelreeperrmem-y GII ber 24, which is shown in the drawingas being in the form of an arcuate ange, may be formed to denne a generally square, angular or otherf'" cross section.

While the drawing shows the plates vIl) andy |3 plate to normally urge said ball member upwardly beyond the base plate, a slide plate slidably arranged on said base plate and provided with an aperture of smaller diameter than the greatest diameter of said ball member adapted to receive said ball member to latch the plates together, and means on said plates to limit the movement of said slide plate on said base plate in one direction, and co-acting article retention means-carried .by the twofplates Aat one end thereofjthefarticle being. he1d:by,said` retention means when the plates are disposed in one position.

y 5. A holding device comprising a base plate provided with a recess, a slide plate disposed on said i1-5fbase-f-1plate, longitudinal flanges on said slide of flat, relatively thin cross section, the-ymayfbef of any other desired or convenient cross section within the scope of the inventions:- Likewisegfthem parts may be disposed so that member 24 opens.

downwardly, or, as shown in Fig. 3, so that member 24 opens upwardly, or 'gin :any'rotherdesired r plane or directionfM l Having thus. described-:myxinvention :what I claim as newl and desire :to secureby Letters' Pat ent',is:

1. A holding :device fcomprisingabase plate, a ball meinber-y andmeansY associated :withsaid base platewto normally urge '.saidrfball member up.-

wardly beyondrthebasezplate, a slide platezslidably Yarranged f,on said'..1base1plate andk provided with fan aperture?- i'of smaller' diameter rthanwthe greatest diameter of said ball member adapted to 'reoeivesaid-ball.:inernber to latch the "plates together swhen-r therplatesfarefin registry. and

adap'tedvto slide over V.the basez.. plate when f. the

ball member-'fis depressed"belowfthe'zaperture of. said:slideplateg-and .co-'actingararticle retention means carried by thetwo platesrat one sendfthereu of; the 'article being `held `by fsaidf retention means.`

when the plates are disposedfin one'fposition;

2.Y A holdin'gldevice comprising aibase-.plateg la ballimemberan'd.meansiassociatedl.withisaid' basem-v Iplate to normallyiirgefsaideballmember upwards u ly beyond the. base plate,- a slide-:plate'-slidably.: arranged on saidsbase platefand provided with; an.-`

aperture fof fsmallerr'diametervthan the #greatest diameter .lof 'saida ball' :memberadapted; to receive-'S saidball member' to latchfthev platesrtogether 'and' 'l adapted' to slide-Soverv Lthefbasealplate Ywhen the* ballwmemberfri's :depressedi below @the aperture'4 of saidfslide plate; and-ra" keeper .member on'the forward v'edge of the Vtslide i plate," said fkeeper mem: r

berbhaving an."opening;;sai'dib`ase plateibeing provided fwithfra. forwardedge'fadapted-'to rclose'fsaid` v opening zwh'eni-the/iplates are lin-l registry; with the.' *ballwmember-V projecting rintocthe aperture oi l theslideplatel 39A holding device' ccmprilsing:v aY basemlate;

a housingff-xedzzto rsaidbaserplateyvav balix'mem-V Y berzrdisposedr in :.said. housing; fmeans': toy normally v urge saifdr ballzmember upwa'r'dlybeyf f!1ic,`rtheplate,rr l a slide flplate lhaving: longitudinalfanges -to slide z ably fenga'ge-saidgfbase platefandmrovidedwith@a means. tov receive saidball member tolatchthe plates together, .andacoa.acting-A article :retentionw means carried by :'the twofplates at One/endithereof,the articleibeingfheld by saidretentionimeans' when the vplatesr-aref ldisposed. in Vonepositiojnl.:

' LA holding devcez-comprisnig a'basefplateaa. v I ball'fmembernand meansassociatedwithsaidbasec'm'il Y' 'to limit movement of the slide plate on the base platelinlonezgdirection, a tubular housingymeans totsecurefsaidhousingzto'said basexplate, a mem:v 1

berxin said-hmisingpmeans engaging/said housing 1 Y and member to normally: urge said member `to project from the housing; saiduslide plate being provided with means to receive and Vbe-,engaged bysaidzmember'to latchthe plates together, and

Va keeper ilange-.on-"the slide plate for freception ofthefarticlef to be heldgin the device when the .,:fplates .are latched 1 together.V

6.-A holding-` device comprising va base -iplate;

a slideplate disposedwonsaid lbase vplate, means on-said slideplate -,for sliding engagement with the base plate to slidably dispose the slide plate ion said base plate, a tubular housing,-means:to

secure saidwhousing :to said base-plate, a ball member-slidably/arranged in said housing,- means r insaid housing engaging' -saidball member to normally urge said member to project from the -housing;. .said fslide; plate ffbeing provided? with means to receive and be engagedfbyfsaidmemberwto latch Athe 'platestogethenfand a. keeper anemiber on the slide pla-te forreceptionbf the articleto :beheld-1in the.deviceawhenfthe fplates are latched together.

l y7. A holding f device comprisingffa base' plate provided with a recess, a slide platez'disposed, on f' said tbase plater longitudinal flangessonsaidfslide platefrorsliding fengagementfwith vthe :base: plate v gage. :the-1 lbaseflplate. to limit'. movement of the slide-.YplatecnIthebase platefin one1 direction,..a tubular housingymeafnsf to jsecure said. housing Ito 'fsaid-y 'ba-sezv platen a` ball Y. member'in Asaid Yrlfiousingffj,v

meansin saidhousing engaging said ball-member .v

plate.: :presentinggan -open lower plates aregoutl of registry ,to y present opening 1 for reception of ,the article-andj holding .said ar-y Y. ticlein the l:device:I lwhen. theplates are latched-.to--.

get hera-in; registry. q@ A 

